Monday, October 26, 2009

The Opt Out

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will include the public option in the final health care bill. Reid announced Democrats are united.

“I’ve conclude with the support of the White House and Sens. Dodd and Baucus, that the best way to move forward is to include a public option with the op-out provision for states,” Reid said at a press conference.

Sen. Max Baucus has fought to keep the public option out of the health care bill. Reid publicly announcing Baucus's support means conservative Democrats are fearful of backlash from the progressive base. Baucus will probably work behind to scenes to kill the public option. Reid is in a tough election and Nevada voters have expressed support for the public option. Baucus has lost the Majority Leader. Reid is willing to lose Sen. Olympia Snowe. The latter said she vote vote against any health care bill containing the public option.

Reid will add legislation that will allow states to opt out of the public option. We can expect to see red states opt out and have the most uninsured patients. Conservatives will wonder why health care cost won't go down. Republicans will say health care needs to be 100 percent privatized and propose no regulations for oversight. Conservatives will say, "Let the free market decide." I say Republicans and conservatives need to take an economics class. The status quo is unsustainable. The U.S. Government Accountability Office describes the cost of health care as "unsustainable." The GAO reports warns health care will become a drain on our economy, produce greater taxes and affect the United States ability to compete in a global economy. Republicans and conservatives would rather shout bumper sticker slogans than read government health care reports.